A woman and her attorney were shot to death in Napa Thursday allegedly by a man who later shot himself but survived.
Friends and family of Ralph Andino III said the 54-year-old attorney and his client, identified by officials as 38-year-old Napa resident Georgina Padilla, were shot and killed at the Napa Park Homes apartments Thursday morning.
Andino’s wife believes he was at the apartments to help Padilla, who neighbors said was constantly fighting with her live-in partner.
"That definitely sounds like something that Ralph would do as far as helping anybody," former client Marilyn Gomes said. "He would do what he could do to help them."
Andino’s wife said the father of two was an ethical and caring attorney, a lover of Bay Area sports memorabilia, and was looking forward to watching the final Oakland A’s game at the Coliseum before he was killed.
Gomes said she’s not surprised Andino would make a home visit. She said the American Canyon-based attorney would bend over backwards to help people. In fact, he sometimes gave her free legal advice.
"Very caring," she said. "He cared about everybody. He would do whatever he could to help. He wasn’t in it for the financial gain. He’d just do what he could to help anybody."
Balloons and flowers were placed outside the unit where the deadly shooting took place as neighbors tried to understand what led to it all.
"Completely shocked and kind of sad because it was really tragic," neighbor Zayra Navarrate said.
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Napa police said the suspect, Baltazar Rangel Juarez, shot himself after an hourslong standoff at Kennedy Park Friday afternoon. He survived and was taken to the hospital. His condition wasn't immediately known.
"He should pay for what he’s done," Gomes said. "I hope he doesn’t die because that would be too easy on him. He needs to go to jail and pay the consequences for what he's done."
